Janine has been a longtime customer — we always notice her name when orders come through — and we just adore her. Recently, she reached out with a question about making a carrot cake using our Wild Rye Olive Oil Cake Mix.
“Do you think I could make a carrot cake using your olive oil cake mix?”
Here’s what I know: a carrot cake and olive oil cake merged could really be a match made in heaven — but I hadn’t ever worked on a recipe using our baking mix before. So, with Janine on board to give it a go, I sent her an idea of how to modify our mix and what to add to make the carrot cake of our dreams... satisfying, full of texture, and perfect frosted with cream cheese frosting (the top-of-the-mountain frosting, if you ask me).
A few days later, she sends me a photo of this beautiful, golden olive oil carrot cake with rave reviews from her family. It looked incredible. I became totally emotional (because I really, really do love what I do). And obviously, I had to get in the kitchen and bake one for myself.
And wow. It’s so, so good. Better than I anticipated, honestly.
This olive oil carrot cake is spiced to a Goldilocks-style perfection. It’s full of grated carrot, coconut flakes, and chopped dates or raisins. You could certainly add nuts to this cake if that means a lot to you. It’s flavorful and just sweet enough, and the texture is exactly what I want from carrot cake — cozy and nostalgic, but not heavy, and certainly not dry. I love it so much.
If you're looking for a gluten-free carrot cake, this recipe works beautifully with our gluten-free olive oil cake mix too. No extra tweaks needed — just swap the mix and bake as usual.
Serve it with cream cheese frosting (our vanilla frosting mix makes this so, so easy), or keep it simple with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Happy baking, friends.
This recipe means a lot to me, for many reasons — but mostly because it feels like a celebration of the Wild Rye community and all the magic we’re making together.
The Recipe:
Ingredients
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3 eggs
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1 cup milk
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¾ cup olive oil
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2 cups grated carrots
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1 cup coconut (I love unsweetened)
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½ cup golden raisins or dates (I'm partial to dates)
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2 tsp cinnamon
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1 box Wild Rye Olive Oil Cake Mix (regular or gluten-free)
Instructions
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In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and olive oil until smooth.
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Fold in the grated carrots, coconut, cinnamon, and your choice of dates or golden raisins.
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Add the Wild Rye Olive Oil Cake Mix and gently stir just until everything is combined — don’t overmix.
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Pour the batter into a parchment-lined 9” cake pan and smooth out the top.
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Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
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Let it cool completely before serving. It’s incredible topped with cream cheese frosting (our vanilla frosting mix makes that easy), or keep it simple with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Ready to make it? Grab our Olive Oil Cake Mix or Gluten-Free Olive Oil Cake Mix and bake this one soon. It’s a keeper.